Canadian software maker BlackBerry on Monday launched a new cybersecurity software, which identifies vulnerabilities in programs used in self-driving cars.

The product, called Blackberry Jarvis, is being marketed first to automakers - a group of customers the former smartphone maker is hoping will power its turnaround efforts - but could also have applications in healthcare and industrial automation.

BlackBerry said it was offering Jarvis on a pay-as-you-go basis.

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Best known for its handsets, Blackberry has now revealed Jarvis, software being marketed first to automakers - a group of customers the former smartphone maker is hoping will power its turnaround efforts - but that could also have applications in healthcare and industrial automation

Once initiated, automakers will have online access to Jarvis and can scan files at every stage of software development, the company said.

BLACKBERRY AND BAIDU TEAM UP ON SELF DRIVING CARS

BlackBerry and Chinese internet search firm Baidu have signed a deal to jointly develop self-driving vehicle technology, the firms revealed this week.

The deal follows similar agreements with firms including Qualcomm Inc, Denso and Aptiv Plc to develop autonomous-driving technology with BlackBerry's QNX software, which are expected to start generating revenue in 2019.

QNX will be the operating system for Apollo, a platform for self-driving vehicles that Baidu announced in April and has billed as the 'Android' of the autonomous driving industry. Baidu's driverless cars are pictured above during a 2016 test run

Investors and analysts are closely watching what comes of those agreements amid expectations that QNX could become a key technology in the burgeoning self-driving vehicle industry.